Just like in the first quarter fewer homes were sold between April and June 2018. Yet, house prices have increased rapidly in the same period. Decreasing affordability and accessibility of the owner-occupied market severely undermine buyer confidence on the housing market.

While we still expect house prices to increase substantially this year, sales activities seem to reached a turning point on the Dutch housing market. Hampered by an increasing scarcity of homes in almost all regions, we have adjusted our 2018 sales forecast from 250,000 to 235,000 homes, a decline of 3% compared to 2017.

The Dutch economy grew by 1.5 percent in Q2 and outpaced the solid growth in other Eurozone economies. Labour market figures in Q2 were also strong. Domestic and foreign demand can continue to drive a cyclical recovery.